A new pathway system is under construction in Yakima that will soon offer you a chance to walk a 6. 5 mile loop connecting the Powerhouse.

Pathway to the William O. Douglas Trail. Construction work started this week on the Walter Ortman Parkway Project that will eventually create the pedestrian-friendly loop. Funded with a federal grant obtained by Yakima Transit, the Ortman Parkway will add nearly a mile of new paved pathway to the city's pathway system. The pathway work should be completed by late spring or early summer. The project extends the pathway in North Central Yakima from Swan Avenue through McGuiness Park and eastward along Willow Street to 5th Avenue. From there, the pathway system heads north and connects with a section of the William O. Douglas Trail, an 80-mile recreational pathway that begins on 6th Avenue in Yakima and eventually leads to Mount Rainier National Park. "This is a wonderful example of steps that are being taken to make Yakima an even better place to live" says Yakima Parks & Recreation Manager Ken Wilkinson. “Pathways and urban trails provide great options to meet both the recreation and transportation needs of a community. The Ortman Parkway in particular will give kids in that part of town a safe alternative to walking in the street to and from school,” said Wilkinson. The 2012 City of Yakima Citizen Survey identified walking and hiking opportunities as a highly valued activity among community members. Walkways, pathways, and trails were identified by survey takers as priorities for City investment. As a result, the Yakima City

Council in March approved an agreement with the Cowiche Conservancy to help promote recreational trail development by expanding pathway and hiking opportunities in the greater Yakima area.

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